Page 105

DISCOVERING ADVENTURE

“Spaghetti dinner?”

I flipped the piece of paper over, looking for any other clues Evie might have left. This town really liked spaghetti. Did somebody need a new hip? Maybe they raised money to fix that pothole on Main Street. Firefly didn’t need much of an excuse to partake in red sauce and meatballs.

Without Evie, the house did its best to fill the silence.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say the creaking floorboards and shaking walls were Mimi trying to communicate.

With every step to the kitchen, the wood groaned.

It was no wonder I had never been able to sneak out as a teenager.

The house came with a built-in security system, designed to keep its occupants inside.

I debated finishing the blueberry… no strawberry… maybe banana cream… We would never finish all the pies before they went bad. We could probably host a bake sale at this point.

Wiped, I decided I needed a shower more than I needed pie.

Climbing the stairs, I noted the discoloration where photographs had once hung.

Without them, it looked as if the wallpaper had a Polka dot pattern.

There were boxes filled with pictures of our family I’d spend the next year digitizing.

Even if we were the last of our line, I didn’t want our heritage forgotten.

When I reached the top, I paused, taking in the spaciousness of Mimi’s house.

It was one of the largest on the street, and I couldn’t imagine, even with Evie and I…

or our parents, for that matter, that it ever felt full.

Perhaps that’s why Mimi insisted on filling it with stuff.

It might not have people, but it had more memories than one person could ever remember.

I headed into my bedroom, flipped on the nightstand lamp, and stripped down.

My hands were still covered in graphite from drawing.

It’d require a serious scrubbing to get them clean.

After a day of awesome, I wanted to take the hottest shower possible and sit in the living room sipping hot chocolate.

I had taken the room with the biggest bathroom. Unlike the others, this one held a clawfoot tub and a glass shower. Evie claimed she had taken more baths in the last month than she had in ten years. For a house this old, I swear the water heater must hold magical powers.

Eyeing the tub, I opted for a shower. I turned the porcelain handles, listening to the pipes resist before water peppered the tile.

While I waited for the water to turn hot, I stared in the oval mirror above the vanity.

Between the house, Evie, and the calendar, I had transitioned from a snazzy bear with a goatee into a woodland creature.

With flannel, I’d blend right in with the locals.

“Nope. Not having it.” I chuckled as I grabbed my trimmer. Popping on the guard, I left it longer than usual. I’d call it a compromise. It hummed louder than the shower as I went to town sheering my face. With the amount of hair hitting the sink, I’m surprised I had any left.

“Maybe it has been a while.” With a quick buzz, I felt more like myself. With a few more swipes, I cleaned up my neckline and that stray gray hair in my mustache that refused to die. “I feel my humanity returning.”

I inched a toe into the shower, hissing at the heat. It rode the line between bearable and too much. I craved that sweet spot and jumped in, letting the water pummel my back. It didn’t matter how calm the day had been; I always wanted to end it in the shower.

The glass partition steamed over. I drew a little heart, then an arrow through it.

JO + TB. Yes, I could still be a hopeless romantic, and directing that energy toward Tyler came naturally, so much so that it made me nervous.

I couldn’t sort out why? With nothing going on, I didn’t have to speed past the thought.

“Intimacy?” I shrugged my shoulders as I grabbed the bar of soap.

“We’ve got plenty of that.” I started the routine.

“What if it ends?” All my other relationships had gone down in a fiery heap.

Something in my chest tightened. Our story started twenty years ago, and it felt like it raced toward an all-or-nothing decision.

Maybe that had something to do with it. This wasn’t the pressure of a first date with a guy I hardly knew.

Tyler mattered, and the thought of upsetting that first kiss hung in the air.

“You’re scared you’ll blemish your first kiss?

” I almost laughed at the absurd conclusion.

It didn’t feel like pressure when I was with him.

In fact, it was the opposite. But saying, “I want this,” out loud, meant a series of events I wasn’t as confident with.

Would I uproot my life in Portland and move to Firefly?

Would we try a long-distance relationship?

“What if Tyler isn’t the adventure?” I scrubbed my hands, trying to get rid of the black powder. “What if Firefly is the adventure?” I had more fun since arriving than I had in years. Where I passed faceless strangers in Portland, everybody here welcomed me with a smile and outlandish stories.

I paused, washing the soap off my fingers.

The tips were still dark, and I realized the answer had been staring me in the face this entire time.

Firefly had stoked the flames, bringing back my passion.

I had been so focused on capturing it in other people I hadn’t seen it in myself.

Radical love had taken hold, and I wanted to chase this feeling.

I could feel my heart skip a beat.

“What if Tyler’s not the adventure? What if he’s the reward at the end?”

Firefly had introduced me to a grandmother I hardly recognized. It brought me back to something I loved. Hell, the town had somehow mended family wounds. In the middle of all that, I thought of a big white sign two miles from downtown.

“Welcome to Firefly.”

The magical water heater had reached its limit.

After the water turned cold, I finished my routine by posing in front of the mirror.

I couldn’t help but smile as the jumble of thoughts turned into a single forward direction.

There weren’t words to explain it, just a feeling in my chest that screamed, “Yes!”

“It’s an adventure,” I mumbled. No, that wasn’t enough.

“It’s an adventure!” I could have woken the dead.

I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. The tension had eased, and there were nothing but butterflies creating a windstorm.

Is this how the characters in my movies felt when they realized their path forward?

“This would be better with instrumental background music.” I raised an eyebrow in the mirror, snorting. “It’d be a dance montage.”

I walked into the bedroom, debating what I should do next. The pie downstairs was calling my name. Even as my mouth watered, I spent a little longer indulging my euphoria.

I stood at the foot of the bed, catching a glimpse of my naked self in the full-length mirror.

Stopping, I gave a slight bow. As the music crescendoed, I’d hold out my hand, pulling Tyler from his seat.

He’d be at a loss for words as we twirled about the room.

It’d start as a formal waltz, and after a few rounds, we’d slow.

I’d slide my hands down his side, holding his hips as his arms wrapped around my neck.

As I closed my eyes, fantasizing about the event, I wondered how long before we kissed. It’d start subtle, a simple peck on the lips. But there’d be no holding back, and before long, he’d be holding the sides of my head as the passion took over. If it were the Romance Channel…

“Wait.” My eyes shot open. If this were a movie, it’d require a grand gesture. I couldn’t just tell him and then hop in the sack. It had to be something monumental that screamed, “I did this because you’re the one for me.” There needed to be witnesses who would speak about it at every gathering.

Gathering. I froze, the perfect solution forming. This victory belonged to all of Firefly. I could announce our triumph at the carnival. Then, afterward, Tyler and I could sit under the fireworks as we relived our first kiss. Except, this time, it wouldn’t fade to black.

“I want the NC-17 version,” I said. Glancing in the mirror, it was hard to ignore my erection. The thought of him mounting me on the hood of the car would get a reaction every time. At this point, we had fooled around everywhere but the bed. We had saved tradition for last.

I went to hop on the bed, and my foot caught on the rug. I hit the side and bounced off, landing on my butt next to the nightstand. “Not the pain in the butt I hoped for,” I groaned.

Climbing onto the bed, I took a seat before laughing again. In the back of my head, I heard Tyler snorting at my clumsiness. I couldn’t help but smile at the way his body jiggled as he tried to stop himself. It hadn’t changed in twenty years, and I hoped it wouldn’t change in the next twenty.

Lying back on the bed, legs hanging over the side, my cock hadn’t softened despite my fall.

It had been a few days, and with the newfound sense of purpose, I suppose I could reward myself with some alone time.

My head popped up, checking that the bedroom door remained shut.

The last thing I needed was Evie discovering me, indulging myself.

Reaching down, I gave my shaft a squeeze.

I thought about waiting, saving it until I got Tyler naked.

If I did that, there’d be a good chance I’d come before he got my pants off.

Really, jerking off now was a public service for later.

With that in mind, I had no option but getting off. Manners dictated it.

“Who am I to argue?”

I scooted back until I lay across the bed, lightly stroking my cock.

A bead of precum had already formed, reinforcing that it wouldn’t take much to reach the finish line.

Closing my eyes, I imagined Tyler draped over the bed, his mouth hovering just over my cock.

Ever since the club, whenever I jerked off, I imagined my cock buried in his mouth.

I ran my finger over the head, coating it in precum before licking it off. Though, after he bent me over the hood of the car, I was not sure if his mouth would be enough. I wanted Tyler buried in my ass whenever I came. Could we make that a rule from here on out?

While I stroked with my right hand, I cupped my balls with my left.

It felt amazing, but it’d be better with my legs resting against Tyler’s chest as he teased me.

Spreading my legs, I let my fingers trail downward until I circled my hole.

Even as I slid one inside, it paled compared to the impressive piece of meat between his legs.

The tingling in my balls spread along my groin. I let go of my cock, fearful I’d come. It’d be easy enough to get off and get on with my evening, but I wanted to keep fantasizing about what Tyler would do if he were here.

One finger became two. Any more, and I’d need lube, and at that point, I’d just send Tyler a photo of me on all fours saying the door was unlocked.

As I massaged my prostate, I watched the precum drip down my fingers.

I pulled my legs back, making it easier…

I tried a third as if it were Tyler working his cock in me.

“Fuck.” I held still, frozen between pleasure and pain. When I told Tyler about the calendar and that we had saved the day, I fully expected a night of him using my ass. I wonder how many loads I could coax out of him before I had to come? Two? Three? Seven?

With one more flick across the head, the electricity returned, and my toes curled. I continued stroking as my balls drew tight. I groaned as my ass squeezed my fingers.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” My whole body stiffened as I shot.

Howling, the first string hit my belly, the second landing somewhere in my beard.

I closed my eyes tight, worried the next would hit my face.

As my body convulsed, the post-cum stiffness set in.

While I might ache right now, if Tyler needed my ass to come, I’d gladly let him keep rutting.

I pulled my fingers free, lowering my legs. With another squeeze, I milked the last of my load from my softening cock. Wiping my hand off on my chest hair, I lay there, my breathing returning to normal.

“Now I want to cuddle.” Yes, sticky mess and all. As soon as I came, I reverted to little spoon status and wanted to be a cuddle slut. However, tonight, a pillow would have to do.

“On a good note…” I lifted my head, looking at the mess. “I get to take another shower.” With a lick of the finger, I tasted the salty mess. My cock jumped. “No. You’ve had enough fun tonight. Have to save something for Tyler.”

Sitting upright, my cock argued my logic. “Okay, maybe one more in the shower.”